Emma Bumstead
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emmabumstead.bsky.social
Emma Bumstead
@emmabumstead.bsky.social
210 followers 160 following 120 posts
🎲 Making art with an element of chance
🗓️ Taking on weekly challenges/themes for 2025
🖼️ Creative Director at Bryn Mawr College
📍Michigander (#GoBlue) in Philly
https://linktr.ee/emmabumstead
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emmabumstead.bsky.social
Day 3: Dug up some old gelli plate prints from a couple of years ago to pair with my interpretation of CFM's Blossom!

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2x3" with acrylic, gouache, and watercolor on wood.

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#Colortober #MixedMedia #Collage #ArtYear #PhillyArt
A 2x3" collage pictured on a blue background
October 10, 2025 at 4:12 AM
emmabumstead.bsky.social
Day 2: I think my interpretation of CFM's desert pink is a bit too pink and red-- but I used the name as backdrop inspiration for today's collage.

Don't tell SEPTA that I steal the tickets sometimes as collage fodder 🤣

2x3" | #Colortober #Collage #MixedMedia #ArtYear #PhillyArt
A mixed media collage pictured over a photo of the desert
October 3, 2025 at 2:13 AM
emmabumstead.bsky.social
I'm going to attempt a variant of Inktober this month! I love the idea of #colortober from Case for Making and have prepared wooden tiles with an equivalent color from their list to collage on. That makes the prompt color the background every day-- and I do love a rules-based project 😆
A tiny collage on an easel pictured in front of the Philly skyline The colortober prompt list from Case for Making
October 2, 2025 at 12:01 AM
emmabumstead.bsky.social
I've had an idea to do some architecture-inspired collages based on places that I run past that catch my eye for whatever reason. I really liked the pop of salmon pink on this place from my run last Sunday!

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#Collage #ArtYear #MixedMedia #PhillyArt
A 3x4" collage made using mostly acrylics, thread, and paper, featuring colors inspired by a house seen on a run. A beige Philadelphia rowhome with a salmon-pink door.
July 12, 2025 at 9:50 PM
emmabumstead.bsky.social
Had a beautiful sunset run immediately followed by a thrilling wildlife encounter in the subway 🤣 I love Philly
Strava map of a run A sunset over the Ben Franklin bridge with skyline views of Philly A particularly large subway rat in 5th St/Independence Hall station
May 16, 2025 at 1:44 AM
emmabumstead.bsky.social
Easter candy colors at 30th Street Station 🐣🚉

Watercolor, acrylic, and colored pencil on paper.

#Collage #ArtYear #MixedMedia
A tiny pastel and dark green collage of abstract shapes held by a hand at an Amtrak/SEPTA station
April 16, 2025 at 1:22 PM
emmabumstead.bsky.social
Took my Brompton on its first commute today!

Also— #SaveSEPTA
A lilac Brampton pictured at the base of the steps at a SEPTA train station
April 14, 2025 at 12:44 PM
emmabumstead.bsky.social
Made a little collage on my lunch break that managed to perfectly encapsulate the colors of dying spring blooms on a gray spring day 😂

#Collage #MailArt #ArtYear #MixedMedia
A hand holding a tiny handmade collage featuring neutral beiges and grays with a pop of pink, photographed in front of a blooming tree.
April 11, 2025 at 1:08 AM
emmabumstead.bsky.social
Happened to find myself at Omoi Zakka in Philly and I’m happy to report they carry LAMY now— excited to try it when I get home!

I just finished a huge deadline at work so I deserve a little treat 🤣
A LAMY Safari fountain pen pictured on top of a zebra print bag
March 29, 2025 at 7:14 PM
emmabumstead.bsky.social
Fulfilled a very specific Philly bucket list item today: I hiked between two SEPTA stations through the Wissahickon-- saw Rittenhouse Town, the Henry Ave bridge, and Kelpius Cave. Looking forward to tackling a longer version of this car-free hike when I have a whole day!
Photo of both Tulpehocken station and Wissahickon station Photo of a home in historic Rittenhouse Town Photo of a biker passing under the Henry Ave bridge
March 23, 2025 at 10:52 PM
emmabumstead.bsky.social
I'm scheming another tiny art kit and somehow none of my pencils are short enough for the task-- leave it to the resource exchange to have a full grab bag of short pencils and even a tiny brush!
A hand holding a bag of pencils and a tiny paintbrush in front of The Resource Exchange of Philadelphia
March 23, 2025 at 4:55 PM
emmabumstead.bsky.social
Earlier this week I made a piece of mail art that I liked too much to send, so I made another inspired partially by its envelope (seen here peeking out from under the art!). I keep forgetting how much I like adding pattern to these shapes with colored pencil.

#Collage #MailArt #ArtYear #MixedMedia
A bright and colorful handmade piece of collaged mail art featuring abstract shapes is pictured with a handmade envelope.
March 21, 2025 at 7:47 PM
emmabumstead.bsky.social
This is meant to be my March mail art submission to send at the end of the month-- but I think I might love it too much to give away! I've been sick for the last several days so it felt good to collage last night.

#Collage #MailArt #ArtYear #MixedMedia
A collage comprised of beiges, browns, green, yellow, and blue shapes is arranged on a table with an upcycled brown envelope, a cutting mat, a brush, and some watercolor paint.
March 16, 2025 at 7:57 PM
emmabumstead.bsky.social
Come collage with @thetealappeal.bsky.social and me this Thursday in Old City Philly! I had fun with a combination of neon index cards and vintage imagery last month.

Reserve your spot here: www.eventbrite.com/e/gab-and-gl...
Five brightly-colored collages arranged on a blue surface
March 10, 2025 at 1:37 AM
emmabumstead.bsky.social
My last-minute February mail art submission is very "reduce, reuse, recycle" themed-- I used two envelopes I received at work this week alongside scrap paper from my January mail art! Also dipping a toe back into embroidering paper.

#ArtYear #Collage #MailArt
A collaged mail art postcard using recycled paper and thread is pictured on a cutting mat with a paint palette and brush.
February 21, 2025 at 3:35 AM
emmabumstead.bsky.social
My weekly creative theme is just to make a bunch of tiny collages featuring stars for no other reason than to bring some simple joy into my daily routine 🌟

I’m using random color draws for these to reduce decision making and I’ve gotten some amazing pairings so far!

#ArtYear #Collage #Watercolor
An arrangement of mini collages on a table with paintbrushes and a palette of watercolor paint
February 20, 2025 at 2:07 AM
emmabumstead.bsky.social
For all my mail art people: join me in making a last-minute piece of mail art for Jennifer Stamps' February mail art loop! Deadline is the 20th to sign up. This postcard is the card I received in January 💌

jenniferstamps.com/mail-art-from
A mail art postcard featuring a collage of vintage ephemera, patterned paper, and the words "It has come to dwell among us."
February 18, 2025 at 4:24 AM
emmabumstead.bsky.social
I spent a full hour looking at quilt patterns last night and figured I should sit down and attempt a collaged paper quilt. Not enough contrast between the squares-- but it was fun to use bits of a gift card envelope and a dirty SEPTA ticket 🤣

#ArtYear #Collage #Watercolor #MixedMedia
A hand holding a small collaged paper quilt made using paper scraps A digital collage showing the apple gift card envelope and SEPTA ticket used to make the paper quilt
February 16, 2025 at 5:21 PM
emmabumstead.bsky.social
A quick little collage using my copy of Dictionary of Color Combinations for palette inspiration. I just realized that there is a companion site for the book now, too! Here's 194 in digital form: sanzo-wada.dmbk.io/combination/...

#ArtYear #Collage #Watercolor #AbstractArt
Small water collage pictured on a table next to a copy of Dictionary of Color Combinations
January 24, 2025 at 7:07 PM
emmabumstead.bsky.social
My contribution to #onlybeautifulthings today is starting a new sketchbook with little things that make me happy. Escaping to detail is a reliable path to peace for me. And last night it was recreating vintage pricetags found on Flickr.
A sketchbook page featuring imitations of vintage pricetags in watercolor and collage.
January 20, 2025 at 6:09 PM
emmabumstead.bsky.social
I knew last week would be stressful—especially at work—so I challenged myself to practice yoga for 20 minutes every day. I managed six days! I'm not at all shocked to report that I feel physically and mentally better than I did last Sunday.

#ArtYear
A hand-painted "Yoga Week" graphic depicting that 6 of 7 days were finished.
January 19, 2025 at 5:32 PM
emmabumstead.bsky.social
If the timelapse isn’t your jam— here’s the mail art with 100% less motion! 💌
Colorful mail art collages arranged on a table
January 12, 2025 at 9:08 PM
emmabumstead.bsky.social
That’s (nearly) a wrap on my little mail art challenge for the week! Just have to address everything 😁

Turns out I love using watercolor on colorful printer paper. Whether USPS will is another question.

#ArtYear #BlueskyArtShow #MailArt #Collage #Watercolor
January 12, 2025 at 9:05 PM
emmabumstead.bsky.social
I saw the yellow tube out of the corner of my eye, picked it up, and almost applied glue to my lips. In all my years of collaging this is somehow a first 🤣
January 9, 2025 at 5:55 PM
emmabumstead.bsky.social
My little challenge this week is making some mail art for friends! Yesterday, I made the envelopes, and tonight I picked out fun coordinating colors for the flat cards. I'm not sure I have cool enough stamps for these 🤣
#ArtYear #MailArt #MixedMedia
Handmade, brightly colored mail art envelopes arranged on a table
January 7, 2025 at 12:46 AM